The present invention is directed, in general, to wireless communication systems and methods of operating the same and, in particular, to a wireless communications system that reduces or eliminates long distance links that are subject to toll charges.
The demand for better and cheaper wireless telecommunication services and equipment continues to grow at a rapid pace. Part of this demand includes wireless message paging devices, which have become ubiquitous in society. Traditional one-way message paging devices (or xe2x80x9cbeepersxe2x80x9d) are giving way to newer two-way message paging devices. Additionally, the types of messages that may be send to a beeper have expanded from short telephone number messages to longer length alphanumeric messages and even to voice messages. In some systems, wireless messages may comprise an alphanumeric or voice message to which an electronic file, such as a text document, may be attached.
Much of this growth resulted from the Federal Communication Commission""s (xe2x80x9cFCCxe2x80x9d) approval of certain frequency bands for the next generation of Personal Communication Service (xe2x80x9cPCSxe2x80x9d) devices that provide voice telephone service as well as advanced voice and/or data message paging services. A relatively small portion of the available spectrum was set aside for narrowband PCS, which is more suited to advanced message paging services, to encourage efficient use of the available spectrum.
The infrastructure of message paging systems includes a substantial amount of wired backbone that interconnects base transceiver stations to a central hub that routes wireless messages to final destinations. For example, a group of base transceiver stations operated by a wireless messaging service provider in New York City may be wired by local network connections to a regional terminal owned by the wireless messaging service provider and located in the New York City area. The regional terminals may then be linked to a central terminal (xe2x80x9chubxe2x80x9d) in some other location (e.g., Chicago or Atlanta) by means of long distance lines. The central hub contains databases that may be used to direct wireless messages to target devices around the country.
From the central hub, the wireless messages are transmitted on an uplink to a satellite and are re-transmitted on a downlink to base transceiver stations across the country. Thus, a two-way pager may send a wireless message to a first base transceiver station in New York City and the wireless message may be sent via satellite to a second base transceiver station in Miami, where it is re-transmitted locally to a target wireless messaging device.
One significant drawback to the above-described architecture is the requirement for a large amount of network interface equipment that connects the hundreds or even thousands of base transceiver stations to the long-distance networks. This significantly increases the costs associated with building the wireless network infrastructure.
Another significant drawback is its reliance on long-distance lines to carry wireless message traffic to the central hub. Since all, or nearly all, wireless messages are transported by long-distance lines, long-distance charges (or tolls) make up a significant portion of the operating costs of the wireless messaging network. This results in higher monthly service fees to subscribers of the wireless service provider.
Wireless message devices that are xe2x80x9croamingxe2x80x9d are particularly susceptible to long-distance charges. In normal operations, a wireless message sent to a subscriber is directed to a message server in the xe2x80x9chomexe2x80x9d area in which the subscriber normally resides. However, when a subscriber turns on his pager in a remote (or xe2x80x9croamingxe2x80x9d) area, the pager registers with a message server in the roaming area. The roaming area message server sends a notification to the subscriber""s home area message server, which then re-directs all new messages that it receives to the roaming area message server. The roaming area message server then delivers the wireless messages by transmission from base transceiver stations in the roaming area.
Thus, if a source message pager sends a wireless message to a target message pager that is roaming in the same coverage area, the wireless message first must be sent to the home area of the target message pager and then must be re-directed to the coverage area in which both the source and target message pagers are located. This may result in long-distance toll charges in both directions.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an improved wireless messaging system that does not require a large amount of network interface equipment to connect base transceiver stations to long-distance networks. There exists a further need for a wireless messaging system that minimizes the number of toll charges incurred by using long-distance lines in the delivery of wireless messages.
The limitations inherent in the prior art described above are overcome by means of an inbound message receiving system for use in a wireless messaging system. The inbound message receiving system comprises: 1) a source base transceiver station capable of receiving a wireless message from a source mobile station disposed in a coverage area of the base transceiver station; and 2) a first satellite transceiver coupled to the base transceiver station and capable of transmitting the wireless message to a satellite.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the satellite is a geosynchronous satellite. Alternatively, the satellite may comprise one or more of the following: low-earth orbit satellite(s), plane(s) flying at high altitude above a defined coverage area, high-altitude balloon(s), high-altitude blimp(s), and the like.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the inbound message receiving system further comprises a second satellite transceiver capable of receiving from the satellite the wireless message.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the inbound message receiving system further comprises a message server coupled to the second satellite transceiver and capable of processing the wireless message and determining therefrom at least one target base transceiver station associated with a target mobile station to which the wireless message is directed.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the mobile station is an alphanumeric paging device.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mobile station is a telemetry device capable of two-way paging.
According to a still further embodiment of the present invention, the inbound message receiving system further comprises a local communication link for coupling the source base transceiver station to the first satellite transceiver and transferring the wireless message, wherein the local communication link does not include a portion that is part of a long-distance network subject to long-distance fees.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms xe2x80x9cincludexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccomprise,xe2x80x9d as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term xe2x80x9cor,xe2x80x9d is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases xe2x80x9cassociated withxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cassociated therewith,xe2x80x9d as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term xe2x80x9ccontrollerxe2x80x9d means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.